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3.1 Introduction
CHAPTER 3 - METHODS
This chapter presents an outline of the methods employed in this research. The first
part of the chapter discusses the research paradigm and explains why a positivist
paradigm was appropriate. Following this, the chapter describes target population and
the research instruments used to collect information from participants. The later part of
the chapter then describes the various components of the research design including the
sampling process, data collection and analysis procedures. Finally, a brief overview of
the ethical considerations is explained.
3.2 Research Paradigms
This study aims to provide seminal information for both hospitality and management
literature by investigating the relationship between LMX agreement and employee
work outcomes. As the data are analysed using inferential statistics, this study follows
a positivist paradigm approach. A positivist paradigm tries to find the truth through
verification of hypotheses by employing statistical methods (Guba & Lincoln, 1994).
Paradigms are basic beliefs that deal with a fundamental theory or assumption (Guba
& Lincoln, 1994). A paradigm describes a “worldview” of the values or knowledge
and the appropriate path of analysing this knowledge (Grant & Giddings, 2002).
Within this context lie ontology and epistemology. While ontology is the form and
nature of reality that exists in this world, epistemology seeks to understand this
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